Day 15, Tokyo Olympics LIVE: Neeraj Wins Gold, India Sign Off With 7 Medals
Live updates from the penultimate day of competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
India's Golden Boy: Neeraj Chopra celebrates after winning a gold medal
Image: PTI
Aditi Ashok's finishes fourth with a 15 under.
Bajrang Punia's wins bronze medal in his debut Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra's wins gold medal in javelin throw final.
Here is a Look at Neeraj Chopra's Gold-Winning Throw
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It's the penultimate day of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and India have three players in medal contention. Golfer Aditi Ashok starts the final round at the second position while javelin star Neeraj Chopra qualified for the final with the best throw and then there is Bajrang Punia, the world number two in the 65kg wrestling category who will be fighting for the bronze.
Golf: The leaderboard in the women's golf event is making some rapid moves today with Indian golfer Aditi Ashok first slipping down to a tied third and now climbing back to the second spot.
After completing the first four holes on even par, the 23-year-old moved to the third spot but with a birdie on the fifth, she's back in the second spot.
American Lydia Ko has played a stunning round so far with four birdies in the first five holes.
Golf: Aditi, New Zealand's Lydia Ko and American Nelly Korda are playing the final round together and had there been a crowd allowed in Tokyo, that's where you'd see all spectators as between the three, there's already been six birdies thru the first five holes.
Four of those are Lydia's who has slipped to the second spot while Aditi is now third.
Golf: A birdie on the sixth and Aditi is back to the second spot, by herself.
Four shots to par on this one and while Lydia was the first to finish off, using all four strokes and breaking her four hole birdie-run, Aditi has completed the hole is three strokes. Her second straight birdie that takes her score to -14.
Nelly Korda, who's had the outright leads for the last few days, has finished with another even par and is -1 for the day.
The lead is down to two shots.
Golf: A birdie on the sixth and Aditi is back to the second spot, by herself.
Four shots to par on this one and while Lydia was the first to finish off, using all four strokes and breaking her four hole birdie-run, Aditi has completed the hole is three strokes. Her second straight birdie that takes her score to -14.
Nelly Korda, who's had the outright leads for the last few days, has finished with another even par and is -1 for the day.
The lead is down to two shots.
Golf: Big movement on the leaderboard! Aditi, Nelly and Lydia are tied for the first spot after the American double bogeyed the par three seventh hole.
She held a two shot lead at the start of the hole but at the edge of the green, she fumbled with her putting as the ball returned back downhill - forcing her to complete the hole in five shots. She's now +2 for the day.
Aditi and Nelly played it out in a safe three shots and all three ladies are now tied for the top spot with -14.
Golf: A birdie each for the three ladies in the leadergroup and they're all at -15 for the day after 8 holes.
A good comeback from world number one Nelly Korda after a frustrating seventh hole as she's now even par for the day with Aditi -3 and Lydia at -5.
Golf: Aditi drops a shot and moves down two spots.
Leader Nelly Korda picked up a birdie on the ninth hole and Lydia Ko followed even as Aditi Ashok has bogeyed the last hole before the group make the turn.
A par four hole and Aditi's third stroke fell shot but she finished it off cleanly but the bogey drops her down to the third spot with the other two ladies in her leader group picking up the birdies.
Also, we have a fourth golfer in contention now! 25-year-old Emily Kristin Pedersen is -4 after 10 holes today and -14 for the event as she climbs to third to tie with Aditi
Leaderboard after 9 holes
Nelly Korda: -16
Lydia Ko: -15
Emily Kristin Pedersen: -14
Aditi Ashok: -14
Golf: Exciting day this! Aditi finished the first of her back nine holes with an even par but a bogey from the on-song Lydia Ko means the Indian 23-year-old is now tied second with Ko and Pedersen.
Nelly Korda, the world number one, seems to have switched gears after the double bogey on the seventh as she's followed it up with three back-to-back birdies to increase her lead by three shots. She's now -2 for the day.
Leaderboard after 10 holes
Nelly Korda: -17
Lydia Ko: -14
Emily Kristin Pedersen: -14
Aditi Ashok: -14
Golf: The par four 11th hole's got Aditi picking up her second bogey of the round. She's dropped to -1 for the round and -13 for the event but she stays in the top three with the New Zealander Lydia Ko too using an extra shot to complete the hole. Ko in fact has picked up her second bogey in as many holes.
Leader Nelly Korda too wasn't spared but despite the bogey, she's managed to build herself a comfortable lead again, two strokes ahead of players she was tied with, an hour back.
But! We have a fifth contender for the podium now with Japan's Mone Inami birdying the 12th hole to climb to tied second.
Leaderboard after 11 holes
Nelly Korda: -16
Emily Kristin Pedersen: -14
Inami Mone: -14
Aditi Ashok: -13
Lydia Ko: -13
Golf: The fourth from last group on the course is making some big moves with both Pedersen and Inami picking up quick birdies to stay in the top three.
After the 12th, Aditi is tied for second with the two and also Lydia Ko. They're all -13 but Pedersen and Inami have completed their 13th.
Golf: A birdie on the par four 13th and Aditi is back on -2 for the round but, more importantly, she's made some upward movement on the leaderboard. She's now tied second with Japan's Mone Inami who's had a -4 round so far today.
Golf: Another birdie for Aditi! The 23-year-old Indian is making sure she remains firmly in medal contention with her second straight birdie, on the par five 14th hole. She is now -3 for the day and -15 for the event, two shots behind leader and world number one Nelly Korda.
Golf: Four back-to-back birdies from Mone Inami and three on the trot by Lydia Ko see the two closing the gap between them and leader Nelly Korda. The pair is now at -16 after 15, with Korda just one shot ahead.
Aditi shot an even on the 15th and is still -14 but with two before her ties, Aditi drops to the fourth spot on the leaderboard.
Golf: It's really tight at the top of the charts with the last couple of rounds coming up.
Good play though under pressure from Aditi Ashok as she shoots a par on hole 16.
Lydia Ko with a bad miss at par and she drops down which brings Aditi back into medal contention as she and Lydia are T3 at -15.
Mone Inami shoots a par to stay at second place.
Meanwhile, the hooter has sounded and players will have to head back because that's a warning for the storm.
Golf: Play has been suspended due to bad weather.
Just a reminder: If the final round is not completed today, there is the option of finishing it tomorrow. And if there is no play tomorrow, Aditi will win a silver medal on the basis of her round three ranking, where she was placed second after 54 holes.
Currently we are awaiting a decision from the officials regarding a start.
Round 4 Standings: USA's Kelly Norda is in the lead with a 17-under, Japan's Mone Inami is second with a 16-under, while India's Aditi Ashok and New Zealand's Lydia Ko are tied-third with a 15-under.
Meanwhile, Diksha Dagar finished tied-50th with a six-over and a total of 290. She was five-over in Round One, one-over in Round Two and Three, one-under in Round Four.
Golf: An update on the official Olympics website - Play will resume at 13:15 (9:45 am IST).
Golf: Players are back on the course. And the hooter is off. Play resumes.
Japan's Mone Inami manages a birdie in Hole 17 and moves to tied-1st with 17-under. Shares the position with USA's Nelly Korda, who is left with Hole 17.
Aditi Ashok misses a Birdie, scores a Par and remains 15-under through Hole 17. She's now in fourth position.
Korda finishes Hole 17 with a par. Is 17-under and tied-1st.
A birdie for Lydia Ko on Hole-17. Is 16-under and on third position.
Golf: Mone Inami, Kella Norda, Lydia Ko and Aditi Ashok are on Hole-18 of Round 4. The 72nd hole, meaning the last hole.
The 22-year-old Mone Inami on her 4th shot. She is well wide. Misses the Par putt. Going to be a Bogey. Bogey in the last. Finishes with 16-under. Tied-2nd with Lydia Ko.
Aditi Ashok in action. Smashes her drive down the green.
Good drive by Nelly Korda. Two shots away from an Olympic gold. Lydia Ko follows her with a great shot.
Golf: Third shot for Nelly Korda. Putt for Birdie. Misses it. However, she just needs to tap it. She's got gold.
Aditi Ashok misses her shot. Lydia Ko finishes with a Par. Tied-2nd with Mone Inami at 16-under. The two will now go into a playoff for the silver medal. Nella Korda wins gold with a 17-under.
Aditi Ashok finishes fourth with a -15. Just a place outside the medals. It was so close. What a superb performance by Aditi Ashok. Mind you, she is ranked 200th in the world. Stunning effort. Came so close to winning a medal!
Golf: Mone Inami and Lydia Ko currently in a silver medal play-off. Both had finished tied-2nd with a 16 under. Will play a rotation of Hole 18, 10 and 11.
An extremely good second shot by Lydia Ko.
Mone Inami needs a tap-in to secure the Par. Great effort by her. Pressure on Lydia Ko. Ko misses her Par putt. Which means it's all over.
Silver for Mone Inami and a Bronze for Lydia Ko.
Golf: What a performance it was by Aditi Ashok. Fought till the end. Remained in contention for a medal till her last shot.
Up Next
Wrestling: Bajrang Punia will be in action in his Men's Freestyle 65kg Bronze Medal Match after 3.55 pm IST.
Javenlin Throw: Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra's Javelin Throw final is scheduled at 4.30 pm IST. Neeraj Chopra had qualified for the final with a throw of 86.65m in his very first attempt in the qualification round.
Words of Encouragement for Aditi Ashok
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi heaped praise on golfer Aditi Ashok for her historic fourth place finish in the women's individual finals.
Wrestling: Bajrang Punia's father Balwan Singh on Saturday told ANI that Bajrang wasn't at his attacking best on Friday due to his knee injury. Known for his attacking wrestling style and high endurance, Bajrang was too defensive in his first two matches. The 26-year-old had suffered a knee injury last month in Russia during the Ali Aliyev Memorial tournament.
Wrestling: Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov beat Senegal's Adama Diatta 10-0 in their Men's Freestyle 65kg Repechage Round match. He will now face India's Bajrang Punia in the Bronze Medal match after 4 pm IST. Niyazbekov will most likely target Bajrang's heavily strapped right knee.
Niyazbekov will be the favourite going into the match. The two have a history! Bajrang had lost to Niyazbekov in the 2019 World Championships. The fight was called a 'dirty' one by wrestling purists back then. However, earlier this year, Bajrang had managed to beat Niyazbekov.
Football: Brazil will be facing Spain for the Gold medal later at 5 pm IST. Bound to be a classic.
Wrestling: The first Bronze medal match between ROC's Rashidov and is Hungary's Muszukajev is now underway. Bajrang's match will take place after this. Rashidov is currently leading the match 4-0.
Rashidov wins the match 5-0.
Wrestling: Bajrang Punia's Men's Freestyle 65kg Bronze Medal match against Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov is up next.
Wrestling: Match begins. Bajrang in blue. No strapping on his right knee today. Passivity charge for Daulet. He has 30 seconds to score a point or Bajrang gets a point. And Bajrang goes 1-0 up. Daulet has Bajrang in a headlock. He's looking to turn the Indian. But Bajrang defends. Bajrang goes for the single-leg takedown. Very proactive now. Send Daulet out of bounds. Another point. Leads 2-0 at the end of the first period.
Javelin Throw: Neeraj Chopra's men's final begins. Chopra had qualified for the final with a throw of 86.65m in his very first attempt in the qualification round. No Indian in independent India has ever won a track & field medal. Germany's Johannes Vetter remains a favourite to win gold.
Javelin Throw: Chopra in his first attempt. Manages an impressive 87.03m. That is better than his qualifying score. Germany's Julian Weber throws his season best of 85.30m. Moves to second position. Republic of Moldova's Andrian Mardare is third at 81.16m. Johannes Vetter manages an 82.52m in his first attempt. Moves to third. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem just behind Vetter with a 82.40m. In fourth position.
Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch moves to third position now with a 83.98m throw. Weber is 2nd and Vetter 4th. Chopra remains at first position at the end of first round.
Javelin Throw: Round 2 begins. Mardare improves his score with a 81.73.
The 23-year-old Neeraj Chopra is next. RAISES HIS ARMS IN CELEBRATION EVEN BEFORE THE JAVELIN HAS LANDED. BETTERS HIS FIRST THROW WITH A 87.58m. Remains first in gold medal position. Weber manages a 77.90 in his second attempt. Vetter is next and goes down clutching his ankle. Slipped. Failed attempt for him.
Javelin Throw: Chopra in his third attempt. A low 76.79m for him in round three. Still first though. The 38-year-old Vitezslav Vesely registers a score of 85.44m in his third attempt. Moves to second place. Season best score for him. Another failed attempt by Vetter. Currently in 7th place.
The last four out of 12 will be eliminated after the first three attempts. Only the top 8 qualify to the medal rounds. Anxious moments for Vetter. Can be eliminated if Katkavets manages better than 82.52.
Men's Javelin Throw: Germany's Johannes Vetter, favourite for the gold medal, has been eliminated. Finishes 9th. Had the top seven throws for 2021. What a shocker!
Men's Javelin Throw: Chopra remains in first position after round three.
Men's Javelin Throw: Round four currently underway. A failed attempt by Neeraj Chopra in his fourth. Still in first place though with a throw of 87.58m. Czech Republic's Vitezslav Vesely is second with 85.44m, Germany's Julian Weber in third place with 85.30m. Both have posted their season best score.
Men's Javelin Throw: Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch moves to second position with a throw of 86.67m in his fifth attempt. That is a season best score for him. Vesely moves to third and Weber to fourth. Weber registers 85.15m in his fifth attempt. Still in fourth place.
Neeraj Chopra is up next. Another foul by Chopra. His last two throws have been fouls. However, he still is in first position after five rounds with a 87.58m throw.
Medal Confirmed for India
Men's Javelin Throw: Round six has started. Anxious moments for Chopra and India. Chopra is still no.1. Three athletes are done with their sixth throw. Top four left. A 75.72m for Weber. This means a medal is assured for India's Neeraj Chopra. Is still in first place.
Neeraj Chopra Wins Gold with a 87.58m Throw
Javelin Throw: Vesely finishes with a bronze. It means it's either a silver or a gold for India for sure. Jakub finishes with a foul. MEANS GOLD MEDAL FOR NEERAJ CHOPRA WITH ONE ATTEMPT LEFT.
An 84.24m in his sixth attempt. But it doesn't really matter. NEERAJ CHOPRA IS AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST. INDIA'S SECOND AFTER ABHINAV BINDRA. THE FIRST TO WIN A GOLD IN TRACK AND FIELD IN INDEPENDENT INDIA.
What a moment. Seventh medal for India at Tokyo Olympics.
Medal Ceremony to Start Soon
The official medal ceremony, where India's Neeraj Chopra will stand on the podium with a GOLD MEDAL around his neck, will start in half an hour.
What a moment it will be when the Indian national anthem will ring out in the stadium. Just the thought is giving us goosebumps!
India's gold medallist Neeraj Chopra flying high in Tokyo
Not So Lonely at the Top Anymore for Abhinav Bindra
Medal Ceremony Begins
The Bronze Medal is presented to Vitazslev Vasely. Jakub Vadledch gets the silver. Both are from Czech Republic.
And now Neeraj Chopra is on the podium. Puts the gold medal around his neck. Time for India's national anthem. WHAT A MOMENT! THANK YOU NEERAJ CHOPRA! GOOSEBUMPS! INDIA'S NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYING AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES AFTER 13 YEARS.
India's Golden Boy: Neeraj Chopra
Milkha Singh's Dream Has Finally Come True
Indian track legend Milkha Singh's dream has finally been realised. His dying wish was to see India win a gold medal in track and field at the Olympics. But, unfortunately, the Flying Sikh is no longer with us to witness this historic moment. However, he, too, must be celebrating somewhere up there like the rest of us are down here.
Haryana announces Rs 6 cr for Neeraj; Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Hails Golden Boy
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday announced a cash reward of Rs 6 crore and a government job for Neeraj Chopra for winning India's first Olympic gold medal in athletics, reported IANS.
"The country was waiting for this moment for a long time and the whole country is proud of him," he said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too congratulated Neeraj Chopra for winning India's first Olympic gold medal in athletics.
"Gold medal in javelin throw event at the Olympics is unprecedented. Proud of him for creating history," said Rajnath Singh. "It is indeed a historic and proud moment for the entire country, including the Indian armed forces! Many congratulations to him," the Defence Minister stated.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also congratulated Neeraj for his historic feat in Tokyo.
"Gold! Neeraj Chopra... you have created history and made the whole country proud," the chief minister tweeted. "Your 87.58 m winning throw today will be part of the legends of the Track and Field arena. India owes you! Jai Hind," he added.
Historical Performance by India at the Olympics
Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been the most successful Olympic Games for India. With seven medals, India bettered their 2012 London Olympics tally of six medals by a single medal.
India has won one gold (Neeraj Chopra), two silver (Mirabai Chanu and Ravi Kumar Dahiya), and four bronze medals (PV Sindhu, Lovlina Borgohain, Men's Hockey Team and Bajran Punia) at the Tokyo Olympics. Currently in 47th place.
With that, India's Olympic Games have come to an end. We had a wonderful time providing you with all the latest updates from the Games for the last two weeks. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!